Letters for Sept. 28, 2022
CMR’s hypocrisy is stunning
The hypocrisy in Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ new campaign TV ad is beyond stunning.
In the ad, CMR accuses the Biden administration of “spending money we do not have” and driving up the inflation rate.
CMR’s ad ignores the fact that CMR voted in lockstep with the Trump administration during which federal spending increased from $4 trillion to $7 trillion, a 75% increase. Federal spending in the first year of the Biden administration has dropped by $1.2 trillion.
CMR’s ad ignores the fact that CMR voted for Trump’s Job Creation and Tax Reduction Act of 2018 which dropped the tax rate on corporations from 35% to 21% while eliminating none of the loopholes that allow corporations to escape taxation completely. The Biden administration has proposed legislation to implement a “minimum tax,” any profitable corporation not otherwise paying a reasonable amount of taxes.
Finally, CMR’s ad ignores the fact that inflation is not something that is caused by short term actions. This round of inflation is the result of “easy money” policies that began around the time of the dot com bust in 1999 and continued through four administrations until events, the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, unleashed the pent up inflationary economic forces, resulting in snarled supply chains, raw material disruptions and lack of an adequate labor supply. This is what is causing the current inflationary spiral, not the actions of the Biden administration over the last years
Do, do not be fooled, the economic woes we are experiencing have a genesis far before the Biden administration.
James Clanton
Spokane Valley
Response to Norman Coffman
“Stone should cite specifics” (Aug. 19) admonishes me to “man up” about my “pet slaughter machine,” the AR-15 rifle.
I’d counter that Norman Coffman, Norm Luther, Ken Brown and Janet Smith need to wake up regarding the lessons of history, militia suitable rifles and the origins of the Second Amendment.
In the last 120 years, millions of unarmed, defenseless people have been murdered, often by their own governments. The slaughter continues today in China and Ethiopia.
Our founders wisely gave us the means to defend ourselves and our nation against tyranny.
Writer Frederick Su wrote in the Epoch Times, “the founding fathers wanted to ensure that future Americans would have the resources to resist tyranny. That resource is up to date firearms of military grade, quality and caliber.” The AR-15.
The militia, which consists of “the whole people” needs to “act in concert for the common defense and bear arms supplied by themselves and of the kind in common use at the time.” The AR-15 again, according to the United States Supreme Court.
Author David Codrea makes the stunning claim in Firearms News, that the Second Amendment may require that Americans own military-type rifles like the AR-15.
When Russia invaded the Ukraine, the Ukrainian government passed out assault rifles, not duck hunting guns, to its citizens.
What about “gun violence?” Recently in Canada, 10 people were killed and 11 wounded by knife wielding assailants. In France, a madman killed 86 people with a truck.
Defensive firearms are banned in both nations.
Curt Stone
Dayton
Can we talk about it now?
The Sept. 18 guest opinion by Chris Crutcher (“Book bans just a precursor to banning the truth”)
is spot on and I couldn’t agree more with his comments. I’d like to take his comments one step further regarding his point about teachers “want students to be educated, to learn what is true.” While Crutcher’s issue is with the past (history), mine is with the future.
As important as it is to know about and understand the past, it is equally important for our students to know and understand what climate science is telling us about the future. The climate crises which is upon us now will continue to challenge us well into the future. Todays students, from elementary through college will pay a very dear price if we don’t act now and begin to be more aggressive on mitigating the effects of our past mistakes. They need to understand how we have created this emergency and become part of the solution. To paraphrase, “failure is an option” in climate change. Climate damage happening now, is for the most part baked in to the immediate future and will only get worse. Inaction now will set us on a course for a world that might not be livable as we know it today.
Can we talk about it now?
Barry Cross
Spokane